Ampo Ordizia achieved the greatest success in its history in 2012. The Goierri team won the Copa del Rey and confirmed that a club which, during its first years in the elite, had sometimes struggled until the last matchday to maintain its category, had become one of the championship's giants, capable of competing equally against anyone. The Ordiziarras defeated El Salvador in that final in Palencia, supported in the stands by thousands of fans who had traveled from Gipuzkoa. In that team played Julen Goia, who, at 20 years old, was the great jewel of the Altamira youth academy.
“"I was just a kid, and I was lucky enough to be a starter, I played the whole game, and I scored a try. It seems like a dream. That final could perfectly be the script for a movie."
The former three-quarter back remembers that day as “one of those memories that stay with you for life. In the end, we were the villains of the category and we were facing the great El Salvador, which had international players like Pablo Feijóo.” Goia recalls that “we started losing and were almost 20 points down (3-21), we were able to keep fighting and ended up winning the game. It was David against Goliath. We beat a team that was favored for everything. Of course, suffering is part of this team, but we live with that suffering in practically every game and we enjoy it, and that was no different.”
After conceding the 3-21, the comeback began, precisely, with a try by Julen Goia: “I was on the left wing and received a pass from Iñaki Puyadena after a jump by Phil Huxford. I only had to run 15 meters, and I scored the try. I also keep that stored here.” Ordizia managed to come back in the match (27-24), El Salvador equalized again, and in the last minute, Danny Kroll emulated Jonny Wilkinson in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final and gave the victory to the Gipuzkoans with a drop goal (30-27).
After winning the 2012 Copa del Rey against El Salvador, Ordizia won this tournament again the following season against another giant of Spanish rugby, VRAC. This time the Ordiziarras, without Julen Goia, won 27-17 at El Sardinero stadium in Santander. In addition to the Goierri club, Bera Bera won its only Cup in 2004 and Atlético San Sebastián won the finals in 1968, 1972, 1973, and 1975.
Beyond the title, Goia remembers “how people were encouraged to go to that final. Even people who didn't know this sport joined the party, and that made it even more special. If my memory serves me right, I think there were 16 buses from Goierri to Palencia and then, in addition, there were people who went by car. I remember that on the way back we stopped a couple of times at service areas and met our supporters. For them it was a perfect weekend. The eve of the match in Palencia was a big party. I think La Balastera stadium has a capacity of about 8000 people, and it was completely full. Obviously, there were also people from Valladolid, but a lot of ikurriñas were seen. It was the perfect atmosphere to compete. Even now I get goosebumps.”
In that Ordizia team, “most of the squad was local. There were people like Joanes Aierbe, Xabi Lerma, or Iñaki Puyadena, who had been at the club for many years, since the lower categories, with Axio Araña as coach –who passed away last year–, and achieving the first title with them made it even more special. Few times have we believed ourselves capable of beating the big teams, it always seems like they are two steps above, but then it was seen that even though we were people from here, from the region, humble people, who work and so on, that locker room had something special. Sometimes, it's not about being professional, but about the hard core being compact, about people believing in what they have, and that makes up for any shortcomings there may be.”
After that final, the three-quarter back from Idiazabal packed his bags to try his luck in Biarritz, and did not return to the Goierri club until 2016. Goia hung up his boots last season to focus on his family, but he has not stopped following Ordizia, which last weekend managed to secure its category and enter the play-offs for the title: “I talk a lot with the people, with the locker room, or with my brother Oier. We ourselves are our best ally and our worst opponent at the same time. We are capable of the best and the worst.”
Although rugby is his great passion, Julen Goia acknowledges that “directly or indirectly, football has always been present in our lives.” The Idiazabal native even played “a couple of tournaments with Real in Zubieta, when he was young, at 14 years old,” and his partner, Uxue Garmendia, was part of the txuri-urdin women's team for four seasons. Real “is lived at home, and there are also many Real fans on the family side.” The Idiazabaldarra hopes to be able to watch the final calmly: “Let's see if the daughters give us a little peace and we can watch the game relatively calmly at home and, if possible, with a beer in hand.” Goia signs “a 0-1 in favor of Real. I'm content with that. And if any local player scores, even better, from Oyarzabal to Marín, I don't care. It would be nice.”
